Knox County, TN Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

Section 26-2 of the Knox County Code governs greenwaste disposal at the county's convenience centers, the network of drop-off sites the county operates instead of curbside garbage or brush collection. "Greenwaste" is defined narrowly as logs, limbs, leaves, grass and brush generated by non-commercial activity; it may only be dropped at convenience centers equipped to accept it, and it cannot be placed in the compactors used for household garbage or for non-commercial demolition and construction debris. The county or its contracted operator is authorized to limit how much greenwaste one load may contain, specify the maximum size of accepted logs or limbs, and charge a disposal fee, but any fee must be clearly posted and a receipt issued for every transaction.

Loads contaminated with plastic bags, wire, string, rope or other unacceptable waste are barred from the greenwaste stream entirely. The section was rewritten in full by Ordinance No. O-11-5-101 on June 27, 2011, replacing a 2001 version that had prohibited greenwaste at convenience centers outright, so the current rule is the more permissive successor to an earlier ban. Because Knox County has no municipal curbside brush pickup outside the cities, this convenience-center pathway is the only lawful disposal route for residential trimmings, and residents planning a large cleanup should call ahead about size limits and fees at their nearest center.